Notice of Intent to Sole Source

In accordance with Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services, the US Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), intends to issue a purchase order on a sole source basis to Malvern Panalytical, Inc. for a High-Performance X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) System. The Empyrean Multicore Pix3D and associated accessories, offered by Malvern Panalytical Inc., meet the technical specifications required by the Government. The Empyrean system is built around proprietary, manufacturer-controlled optical modules and X-ray components that are produced exclusively by Malvern Panalytical. These modules include specialized beam-conditioning optics, interchangeable goniometers, and detectors that enable rapid reconfiguration for diverse measurement geometries without factory servicing. Because Malvern Panalytical maintains exclusive ownership of the system’s hardware, control software, mechanical interfaces, calibration procedures, and safety-interlock designs, no third-party vendor can duplicate or modify these capabilities. As a result, only Malvern Panalytical can provide a system that meets all required performance parameters specified by NETL, including powdered sample operation on a spinner stage, thin-film characterization on an XYZ programmable stage, micro-area measurements, grazing-incidence methods, and most importantly, integration with existing analytical workflows that we developed for the carbon material characterization. Unique capabilities of the Empyrean Multicore Pix3D of primary interest include, but are not limited to, a digital optical encoding system, corrosion-resistant incident smart beam path technology, stabilized “High-resolution” X-ray tube, and pre-aligned fast Interchangeable X-ray mounting system. The detailed technical requirements are identified in Attachment A: XRD Technical Specifications. This is considered a sole source to Malvern Panalytical because to the best of NETL's knowledge, based on market research conducted, Malvern Panalytical is the only known source that can provide this type of service. No known potential alternate sources exist which could satisfy the Government’s requirement. This announcement is issued for notification purposes only and is not a request for quote/proposal. Any responsible party that believes it is capable of meeting the NETL requirement described herein may identify themselves and must provide evidence of their capability to fulfill the requirement by 3:30 PM ET on Tuesday, September 2, 2026. Responses must be submitted in writing to the Contract Specialist via email at Cynthia.Madison@netl.doe.gov, no later than the time and date noted above. Telephone responses and requests will not be acknowledged. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.